Nestlé celebrates 125 years of Maggi liquid seasoning in Germany

Nestlé celebrates 125 years of its Maggi brand liquid seasoning in Germany by transforming a historic castle tower into the world’s biggest ‘bottle’ of the product.

The Company unveiled a giant poster of the iconic condiment at Kronberg Castle, near Frankfurt – which is on display from now until September – as the first in a series of special anniversary events.

The poster, wrapped around the castle’s tower, has the first ever Maggi Würze bottle design from 1886 printed on one side and the current bottle design on the other.

The image is a reference to the local tradition of describing the structure as the ‘Maggi bottle’, due to its apparent similarity in shape.

Ingo Schaefer, Marketing and Communications Manager for Maggi in Germany, explained why the brand chose to begin its 125 year celebrations at Kronberg Castle.

He said: “Germany is the biggest market in Europe for Maggi Würze, with around 19 million bottles sold here every year.

“The Maggi bottle not only has a traditional place in German food culture, but as the local nickname for the Kronberg Castle tower shows, it also has an affectionate place in German people’s imaginations.”

Furthermore, the poster installation at Kronberg Castle covers essential renovation work currently taking place on the building, which is being sponsored by Nestlé.

Mr Schaefer continued: “We wanted to launch our 125 year anniversary celebrations for the product by supporting a regionally important redevelopment project.”

In addition, the poster is accompanied by an exhibition which will also remain in place until September, revealing how Maggi Würze was introduced to Germany in 1887 and quickly became synonymous with contemporary cooking.

The ‘History of Taste’ presents a selection of items from Nestlé Germany’s main Maggi production factory in Singen, in the south of the country, as well as a variety of advertising posters through the years.

It features work from German artists - such as the Frankfurt-based Thomas Bayrle - who have used the bottle as a model for drawings, diagrams and oil paintings.

Other special anniversary events planned in Germany include the release of a series of limited edition Maggi Würze bottles later this year.

A brief history of Maggi

In Switzerland, in 1882, at the request of the Swiss Public Welfare Society, miller Julius Maggi began his research into how to create a nutritious vegetable food product for working families that was inexpensive and quick to prepare.

In 1884, his ‘Leguminose Maggi’ - a powdered mix of dried legumes and pulses, prepared as a thick broth - and his instant pea and bean soups, were introduced to and marketed in Switzerland for the first time.

They helped to establish Maggi & Company as a pioneer of nutritious but convenient food products.

Over the next two years, Mr Maggi continued to improve his Leguminose Maggi product, which by 1886 resulted in the launch of soup mixes. A year later, there were 22 different varieties of Maggi brand soup mixes on the market.

Also in 1886, the company launched Maggi liquid seasoning, a dark-coloured, vegetable protein-based sauce designed to bring extra taste to meals.

Sold as an affordable alternative to meat extract, the product was introduced to Germany 12 months later, where it soon became a familiar addition to people’s dining tables.

Nestlé acquired the Maggi company in 1947. Today, the brand offers around 300 different products, including instant soups, stocks, bouillon cubes, ketchups, sauces, seasonings and instant noodles in a variety of countries around the world.